We did a thing! As you may have noticed on our recent posts, we have an exciting announcement: we refreshed our logo!

Since 1991 Camptown’s core purpose has been clear: to positively impact youth through outdoor adventures. More than 30 years later, Camptown remains focused on what we do best: providing life impacting outdoor experiences for youth, but with a larger reach in a new era. Our staff is growing, the number of students we are serving is increasing, we have added new partners, and we are evolving to meet the unique new challenges that our young people are facing today and will face tomorrow.

While our core purpose remains unchanged, we are breathing new life into our adventures by refreshing curriculum, our logo, and welcoming new partnerships for Camptown. We are eager to see what the future holds and we invite you to come along with us in this next chapter. Thank you to our board committee that is making this refresh a reality – we are blessed to have your talent and support!

We have been a little busy at Camptown lately, and we’re eager to update you! By May, we had already served over 1000 youth in 2022 including 8 Wilderness Adventure Clubs, 3 backpacking expeditions to Tennessee with over 60 teens, our Youth Leaders program and much more. We have also been working diligently to transform some opportunities into reality, and we want to update you on a new program we launched at the beginning of the year. So get ready, because we’ve got a story for you! 

At Indianapolis Metropolitan High School (Indy Met), located in the near-Westside Haughville neighborhood, Camptown’s new REACH for Nature Club has grown quite the dedicated following of students. Not only are they developing key outdoor skills, but also charting new and exciting paths for their futures. The curriculum for high school students focuses on character development, relationship building, and career readiness through nature and outdoor activities. In fact, several of our high school students volunteered weekly to facilitate games with younger students at Camptown’s elementary program sites. The high schoolers also have their own field trips. One Saturday in the spring, they visited Earlham College, including their outdoor education department. One Camptown participant fell in love with the campus. She subsequently submitted her application to Earlham, and is considering a minor in outdoor education. With new doors open, students’ worlds can become much bigger. This summer, two students from Indy Met have been hired as Camptown facilitators for our REACH Summer Camp, getting the opportunity to mentor youth and flex their leadership skills. 

Since REACH for Nature’s January launch at 4 schools, Camptown has been able to interact with 145 new youth and has offered 121 days of programming to high need schools in Indianapolis. Our staff team expanded from a powerhouse group of 6 to a well-rounded, dedicated group of over 15 including several new part time positions. We have laughed, learned, and grown together and continue to adapt to best serve the needs of our students. However, above all else, we have seen the need for this program first hand from our students and teachers.

Post COVID lockdown, students were and still are, struggling academically, socially, and mentally with the weight of the world. Camptown, through REACH for Nature, has alleviated some of that stress and provided students access to nature’s classroom for solace and exploration. The curriculum includes environmental education blended with activities to build social skills and emotional awareness. Students are getting to try new things, build new friendships, and get outside of their neighborhoods or city, and sometimes for the first time. We have trekked trails through rain and snow, held geckos and inspected crickets, and learned from guest speakers who donated their time and talent to sharing their knowledge with our students’ young minds. 

If you’re interested in more background, let’s flashback to October. Camptown and 29 other youth serving organizations were selected to receive ESSER lll grant funding from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to support equitable access to after school programs for Indiana youth. The R.E.A.C.H Grant (Reimagining Enrichment, Academics, and Community Health) seeks to provide economically disadvantaged youth with opportunities for academic achievement, character enrichment, and other activities designed to complement regular academic programs and emotional development. 

When we first considered the grant criteria, we realized Camptown programs are deeply aligned with the goals, but in a rather unique way. After discussing our vision with our contacts at the IDOE, we saw this as an opportunity to expand our REACH and open new doors for Camptown to serve even more students. When we finally submitted our application, we were optimistic about our chances, but knew there would be many applicants in the wake of the pandemic. When Brent shared the news in a staff meeting that we were selected, everyone was overjoyed to embark on this new adventure offering for Camptown. 

After much preparation, Camptown was able to launch the REACH for Nature After School Program in January at four school sites: Indianapolis Metropolitan (Indy Met) High School, Christian Park Elementary, Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School, and Francis Parker Montessori. Since launch, Camptown staff have been working diligently to design curriculum, build relationships with students and school staff, and onboard new teammates to support this exciting adventure. 

In the spring semester, students met at their schools for a couple hours once or twice a week after school with an adventure trip once a month. We are offering 6 weeks of day camp at 3 different sites this summer with 2 adventure trips per week. In the fall, sites will be expanded to 3-4 days a week at each of the schools where they may learn about animals and habitats or practice communication skills through fun games.

We are excited to see the ongoing growth of the students who participate, as we continue REACH Summer Camp that started June 6th, alongside all of Camptown’s other summer adventure programs. We are grateful for the support of our Camptown community as we take on this exciting new opportunity, and we are energized by its ability to grow our programmatic reach in Central Indiana. We look forward to sharing many more stories with you soon!

The National Park Service announced their 2020 park usage numbers in February and reported over 237 million visitors to the National Parks in 2020.  While this number represents a 28% decrease from 2019, they attribute the drop due to temporary park closures and restrictions implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  A total of sixty six of the parks in the National Parks system were entirely closed for two months or more.  Smoky Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Zion, Grand Teton, Olympic, and Joshua Tree all reported increases over 2019.  Grand Canyon reported the biggest drop moving it from the second most visited park (a spot it has held for 30 years) to sixth place.  The parks with the highest visitation tend to be parks located nearest major metropolitan centers and those with the biggest decreases, the ones that take some time to get to.  Smoky Mountain National Park held its spot as the most visited National Park, a position it has held for 40 years, and breaking the park record set in 2019.  I can personally attest to the crowds in the Smoky Mountains.  I spend at least one week a year in the Smokies, either fishing with my friend Tom, visiting with family, or with a Camptown group.  This past year my fishing trip was cancelled as we watched news of the crowds heading to the Smokies.  I did get to the Smokies last month with a group of High School students from Thrive Christian Church in Westfield. I purposefully chose a less visited area on the North Carolina side of the Smokies to stay and tried to pick day hikes and activities that were not as visited.  I did want the students to see some of the must sees like Clingmans Dome (which was on one of the clearest days I have ever seen in the Smokies) and get on the Appliachian Trail, but even the lesser visited areas were crowded.  For most trails, we had to park and hike up to a half mile away from the trail head.  The trails themselves were also crowded.  There was seldom a time when we had a section of trail to ourselves.  I have mixed feelings about the growing numbers of visitors to our National Parks, National Forests, State Parks, State Forests, and wilderness lands in general.  On the one hand, I know the studies that show the spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of nature experiences.  Outdoor play and nature experiences have been credited with reduction of ADD symptoms, improved self-discipline, improved performance on standardized tests, improved physical health, stress reduction, improved cognitive functioning, and improved emotional well-being at all developmental stages.  Camptown is all about promoting getting outside and experiencing God’s gift of his creation. On the other hand, the crowds!  Where is the solitude?  I am concerned that our kids will not get to experience the peace and flow of nature that we have.  There are places you can still find that solitude and felling of getting away, but you have to work at it more.  Maybe that is the way it should be.  There also needs to be a call for responsible use of our Parks and Wilderness areas.  So, are people still able to still get that healing benefit from being in nature?  I will let a few of the students on our trip to the Smokies answer that question.

I learned more about God and want to devote more time to him. 

I learned to turn to the Bible right away when I struggle with something.

I learned how to sit and listen to God.

It was a good experience I may always remember.

I had a great experience that I think will have a lasting impact.

I really liked how this made me set aside my electronics and focus on the things and people around me more than usual. I also like having the chance to get to know different people. 

Read more Camptown Blog Posts

One of our staff favorites.  You will find several versions of Goda Goda. It can be made in a pot or skillet, at a front country campsite or even at home. This version is our boil and bag backpacking recipe. A spicy peanut butter sauce makes this a light ramen dish that is excellent either hot or cold.
Enjoy!

Goda Goda
Packet of Ramen noodles
3/4 cups water
1/2 Tbs. dried onion
1 1/2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic
1/8 tsp black pepper (optional)
1 pkt. soy sauce (save your packets from takeout)
1 Tbs. peanut butter powder
Pinch of crushed red pepper 1 Ziploc Freezer Bag 1 padded mailing envelope
At home, add dry ingredients to a Freezer Ziploc bag. In camp, break up Ramen before dumping into the Zip-loc bag with the dry ingredients. Add the soy sauce and shake to mix. Boil water and add to the Ziploc bag. Close bag and put in the small insulated mailing envelope for 10 minutes.

Read more Camptown Blog Posts